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One World with Zain Asher
Trump's UK Visit Ends with News Conference Alongside Starmer; Trump: We have to have the Hostages Back Immediately; ABC Pulls Kimmel Show Over Charlie Kirk Remarks; Nationwide Protests, Clashes with Police Amid Political Crisis; Markets Open after Fed's First Rate Cut Since December; Bob Dylan to Perform on Farm Aid Live on CNN. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired September 18, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Hello, everyone. Live from New York. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching "One World". We are waiting any moment for Donald Trump to wrap up his UK visit
and return to the United States.
GOLODRYGA: Just a few minutes ago, he and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer concluded a wide-ranging news conference that covered everything from
trade, technology, global conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine and a number of other topics. Now this came shortly after they signed a tech prosperity
deal that calls for hundreds of billions of dollars of Transatlantic investment in science and technology initiatives.
It was all part of a two-day show of solidarity between the U.S. and UK, something the two leaders emphasized when they addressed the media just
moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, UK PRIME MINISTER: It's no exaggeration to say that the partnership our two nations have built has shaped the world, from the
beaches of Normandy to the founding of NATO to the creation of technologies that have revolutionized our lives time and time again.
It is British and American men and women side by side, changing the path of history and turning it towards our values, towards freedom, democracy and
the rule of law.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The bond between our countries is like no other anywhere in the world. The United States and
the United Kingdom have done better on this planet than any two nations in human history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, let's bring in CNN's Alayna Treene, who is live for us in Windsor, in the UK, for us. So, Alayna, just in terms of that news
conference there, there were a lot of parts of it that made headlines, especially as it pertains to foreign policy. Donald Trump talked about
being upset with Vladimir Putin.
He mentioned something that I think a lot of us knew already, this idea that ending the war in Ukraine was actually quite a difficult thing to do,
and certainly a lot harder than he had initially anticipated. And then you had the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, talking about moving towards
recognizing a Palestinian State.
That's clearly something that the two men do not see eye to eye on. Just walk us through some of the highlights of that news conference that we just
saw.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, I'll start with both of those points, because I do think those were some of the most notable
answers we heard from both leaders. One when it comes to Russia and Ukraine, President Donald Trump, made very clear to point out, as you
noted, that he really did believe that he would have an easier time he said, trying to solve that war.
He said because of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said that Putin, quote, let me down as he was acknowledging all of this.
But we also, of course, heard him talk about Ukraine as well. One thing he brought up a couple of times, and kind of nodding to Starmer on this was,
of course, NATO and how the United States is now sending weapons to Ukraine once again.
But he made clear to point out that NATO is paying for them, the idea that the Europeans are buying them and then from the United States, and then
having them go that way. And we heard a lot, of course, from Starmer as well, saying that that was one of the subjects that came up earlier in the
day when both men met behind closed doors for a bilateral meeting.
I think, on Israel and you pointed this out Zain, but I think this was definitely one of the most notable things discussed. Starmer made clear, as
you mentioned, that he is thinking about recognizing a Palestinian State. He said that previously, he was actually pushed by a U.S. reporter on this.
And you heard the President, President Trump, argue that this is one of the areas actually that he disagrees with Starmer on most. I would argue there
are other areas. Of course, Starmer and Trump actually have very different politics, with Starmer being more liberal than the president.
But he said -- he went on to kind of talk about how he believes that the hostages that are being held in Gaza by Hamas need to be released
immediately. He didn't really lay out next steps or how he believes that they can find a way to solve the war between Israel and Hamas, but he did
say that he believes that he is confident that it can happen.
Of course, it comes as we know that President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in
recent weeks over all of this, particularly with that attack in Doha on some Hamas leaders or at least that was the goal.
[11:05:00]
So, some news there on foreign policy, some other things I want to note that we heard come up. One of them being about free speech. There is a
question, you know, I think we all anticipated that would come up. We heard Starmer gave a strong defense of free speech.
But I think in light of the news of ABC and definitely suspending Jimmy Kimmel, "The Late Night" Host, on from the air after some of the comments
he had made about Charlie Kirk in light of his assassination. You know, that was notable to me. You heard Starmer kind of saying he was shocked by
that, that it was a very shocking thing.
We obviously saw the president a little after 01:00 a.m. in the here in the UK, in Windsor. He was actually in Windsor Castle when he tweeted about it.
Last night he said essentially that celebrating Kimmel being off the air. And so that was a notable part of this, as well many other topics that we
could -- we could discuss here.
But I think those were some of the most striking from that press conference, and obviously a great opportunity, because we really hadn't had
a chance to have reporters ask either of them questions yesterday during the state visit. So, this was a notable part of this entire visit.
ASHER: All right, Alayna Treene, live for us. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: We're joined now by Olivia O'Sullivan. She is the Director of the UK and the World Programme at Chatham House. Olivia, good to see you.
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, just on the face of things, given how different their politics are, really make an unlikely duo.
But they have developed an unusual rapport. They understand each other. They communicate with each other very effectively. And as one Trump
official said to "The Wall Street Journal" they described the relationship from the President of the United States standpoint, as the President thinks
Starmer holds his ground on his positions without being critical of Trump's views.
And we saw that on full display here, as the president said, there are only a couple of positions and policies they disagree on. One of them being the
war in Gaza. And you heard how the president and the prime minister handled that quite effectively. What do you make of this relationship?
OLIVIA O'SULLIVAN, DIRECTOR, UK IN THE WORLD PROGRAMME, CHATHAM HOUSE: Yeah, well, first of all, thank you for having me. But second of all, I
think you're absolutely right that to some commentators here in the UK, it's a source of surprise that these two political leaders, who aren't
exactly ideological bedfellows.
Starmer leads the center left party here in the UK, have managed to strike up this rapport. This isn't an accident on the part of the UK government.
It has been a focus of intense diplomatic effort for them to cultivate that personal tie with Trump, to think very carefully about how they respond to
his more provocative comments and statements is a contrast to how some other European leaders are handling Trump.
And it actually goes beyond Starmer as well. We've seen Deputy Prime Minister here, David Lammy, cultivate a relationship with J.D. Vance for
some time, for example. And I think that comes from Starmer himself in the press conference just now described himself as a pragmatist.
And that's sort of emblematic of the way this UK Government is dealing with the Trump Administration. They're doing their best to deploy that strategy
of flattery, of not necessarily criticizing in public, but speaking in private. And have also you've seen in this state visit really leaning on
all of the things that Trump likes about the UK, the Royal Family, his ancestral links here.
But I think the real question is, although that's made it work as a piece of diplomatic choreography, what concrete things has the UK got out of the
visit? They'll be pleased with some of the tech investment, but maybe not as much progress on the tariff deal that the UK struck with the U.S. in May
as some hoped.
ASHER: So, just in terms of how the British public is viewing the second state visit. I mean, obviously it's controversial. We've seen protests in
Central London as Bianna just mentioned, the two men kissed on this obviously a Labor Prime Minister, the two men couldn't have more differing
views when it comes to politics.
I mean, obviously it's also very hard to generalize the opinions of what 50 million people? But just in terms of what people on the ground there are
saying in the UK about the second state visit, is it seen as something the UK just necessarily had to do in order to be pragmatic, given who is in the
White House right now.
Or are they seen to be by some, perhaps groveling to a mercurial president who is, at the end of the day, very tough to please anyway. Just give us
your take on that.
O'SULLIVAN: Yeah. Well, as you say, it's tough to generalize, but we do know from public opinion polls, from surveys, from focus groups, that Trump
isn't a popular figure in the UK actually, even among more conservative voters. And people are worried about Trump's effect on the world.
It makes voters and Labor's core constituency more concerned about global security and Trump's actions. But people also consistently say and that
they understand Starmer's approach and that he's in a difficult position he has to deal with as you say, this mercurial and unpredictable leader.
[11:10:00]
That's not to say that that strategy that Starmer is deploying will be -- you know, will be effective and popular forever. There's risks inherent,
right? There are big question marks here about some of the details of these deals announced around the state visit that aren't yet clear, including,
what did the UK -- what concessions has the UK made to ensure that it maintains these close tech ties and that it courts this American tech
investment?
We know that the Trump Administration is keen to put pressure on allies, around the way they govern technology, around the way they tax it, and
around topics like free speech. We haven't heard too much about that, just in this press conference or just in the immediate details released by this
state visit.
But I think the calculus for Starmer is people understand that he has to deal with a difficult counterpart. They understand that the UK needs things
from the U.S., particularly security support in Europe and in the war in Ukraine, but they worry about the concessions that the UK might need to
make to this administration in order to get the benefits it seeks.
GOLODRYGA: Which is probably why the Prime Minister started with this new technology deal. He first said that the two countries were first in
defense, first in economic alliances, and now, first in science and technology, announcing some $340 billion worth of new deals here, and he
said that would add 50,000 jobs in the United Kingdom.
Given that, yes, there are tariff concerns, it does appear that the UK got a better deal than most other European countries at that. You see the
fruits of their relationship here in the second state visit, and even more deals between these two countries.
Even appears that Keir Starmer has convinced President Trump, as the rest of the world has been trying to, that Ukraine is a big issue to solve, and
not easy to solve, and it's Vladimir Putin who's to blame here. Given all of that, why isn't he reaping more rewards from his own constituents at
home? The economy continues to be a big issue. I'm not sure what more he could be doing at this point, though.
O'SULLIVAN: Well, you know, pretty consistently voters do say they do admire the approach that Starmer is taking to foreign affairs. They
understand that he's been dealt a difficult hand. But I think with some of these announcements around the state visit, you know, it's always the case
with these kinds of visits, governments package up lots of things so that they can announce big numbers and big projections, particularly around the
economic benefits.
Now what we've heard from this visit is potentially significant, especially some of this tech investment and some of these agreements, or some of the
details of this tech prosperity deal in terms of the U.S. and UK working together on the most advanced and frontier tech but language like this has
been used before.
Previous Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also struck a kind of similar technology partnership deal with the Biden Administration. And the UK has
had a serious and long running growth and productivity problem. So, I think the fact that Starmer -- Starmer's government is seeking to court that U.S.
investment and use those U.S. tech ties to try to address that problem, but the proof will be in the pudding.
You know, people here want to see the economic benefits, and those won't accrue for some time. So, I think people understand Starmer's approach to
the diplomacy of all this, and they recognize that Starmer and other European Leaders have worked very closely together to try to keep Trump
kind of onside around the issue of Ukraine, as you rightly mentioned.
But some of these economic announcements, I think people just need to see the effects in reality before they kind of give that credit.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and it's hard to campaign on a counterfactual, meaning it would be much worse if Trump and I were at loggerheads and didn't get
along. So that is an important point to make as well.
O'SULLIVAN: Absolutely.
GOLODRYGA: Olivia O'Sullivan, thank you so much.
O'SULLIVAN: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: All right, U.S. President and the British Prime Minister acknowledge their differences on the issue of the recognition of a
Palestinian State.
ASHER: At their news conference earlier, both leaders said they want to end the war in Gaza acknowledged the brutality of the Hamas attack on October
7th, 2023. Keir Starmer said he plans to recognize a Palestinian State within the context of an overall plan for peace. President Trump focused on
the release of hostages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I want an end. I want the hostages released. And I think it's going to be OK. But it has been a brutal period of time. But this has been going
on for a long time. This is not something that's over the last year, two years. This has been for decades and decades, but we want it to end. We
have to have the hostages back immediately. That's what the people of Israel want. They want them back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: On the ground, Israeli tanks appear to be stationed on the edge of Gaza City two days after Israel's military announced its ground incursion
into the city had begun.
[11:15:00]
GOLODRYGA: Reuters is reporting that internet and phone lines have been cut across Gaza. This as Israel continues its aerial bombardment. Palestinian
officials say more than 100 people were killed across Gaza in the last 24 hours.
ASHER: Yeah, tens of thousands of Palestinians are heeding Israel's warning and streaming out of Gaza City any which way they can as intense
international criticism mounts new comments Israel's far right finance minister could fuel tensions as well.
GOLODRYGA: Bezalel Smotrich says negotiations are currently underway to divide Gaza and describes the battered enclave as, quote, a real estate
bonanza. Listen to Smotrich describe the plan in his own words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEZALEL SMOTRICH, ISRAELI FINANCE MINISTER: I admit I didn't expect this, just so you know, it's not funny. There is a business plan. Listen to me
carefully. There's a business plan set by the most professional people there is, and is on President Trump's table, and how this thing turns into
a real estate bonanza.
I'm not kidding. It pays off. I have started negotiations with the Americans. I say this not jokingly now, because I also demand we paid a lot
of money for this war. So, we need to divide how we make a percentage on the land marketing later in Gaza. And now, no kidding, we've done the
demolition phase, which is always the first phase of urban renewal. Now we need to build. It's much cheaper.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, let's bring in CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us live now from Jerusalem. So, in that press conference between Keir Starmer, the
British Prime Minister, and President Donald Trump, Keir Starmer talks about the importance, in his view, of recognizing a Palestinian State.
But he also took time to really condemn Hamas, to condemn what happened on October 7th. The issue, of course, is the humanitarian crisis as unfolding
in Gaza right now, which has led to a huge international diplomatic fallout for Israel, especially among the Europeans.
Just in terms of what's happening in Gaza City right now, we know that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled, but there are still many,
many thousands of people who are still trapped within Gaza City right now, as this ground incursion is ongoing. What are they experiencing right now
Jeremy?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well indeed, while some 350,000 Palestinians are estimated to have fled Gaza City already, there
are many hundreds of thousands more who still remain there. Keep in mind, the U.N. last month said that Gaza City had become home to some 1 million
people, approximately, and so you can easily do the math there and understand what a large population still remains there.
Now, the Israeli military has been urging people to leave the city. And they say that it is in order to get civilians out of harm's way, as this
very large Israeli force of some 20,000 Israeli ground forces is set to carry out attacks in Gaza City fighting against what they say is a Hamas
force estimated at just 2,000 to 3000 fighters.
And so, when you see what is happening with displaced people in Gaza, that is why you are also hearing these accusations that Israel is carrying out
the mass force displacement of the population, squeezing them into a smaller and smaller area of the Gaza Strip.
And then I think you really can't uncouple that from the comments that we are hearing now from Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's far right finance minister,
who we have seen have considerable influence over the decisions that this government has made, including arguing against any ceasefire negotiations,
and instead advocating for the very type of military offensive where they will conquer Gaza City, but also occupy Gaza City for the indefinite
future.
And then so, when you hear Smotrich in light of Palestinians being forced out of this major city in Gaza, you know, before the powder is even dry
talking about a real estate opportunity here, a quote unquote bonanza. Those comments are very important to try and understanding the motivations
of at least his right-wing faction of this Israeli government.
And perhaps ultimately, as we have been watching things going in this very same direction, perhaps ultimately the motivations of the Israeli
government itself.
GOLODRYGA: I have to say it is really notable that President Trump, who rarely shows such deep emotion as he has consistently for the Israeli
hostages, did this once again today, when he was standing side by side with the prime minister in a way that I think many Israelis say their own Prime
Minister doesn't.
But he clearly has been affected by his meetings with the hostage families and some of the carnage that he saw after October 7th. Jeremy, there's more
news to report as well. What more can you tell us about two Israelis who were killed after a gunman? The IDF, saying this was a Jordanian Assailant
opening fire and crossing between the West Bank and Jordan.
[11:20:00]
DIAMOND: Yeah, this is the Allenby Bridge, which is a crossing between Jordan and the West Bank with Israeli security control at that crossing.
According to the Israeli military, as well as Magen David Adom, Israel's paramedic rescue service, they say that a Jordanian truck driver who was
driving a humanitarian aid truck through that crossing destined for Gaza, that this individual opened fire on individuals who were at this crossing.
Two men were killed according to Magen David Adom. It is not clear yet what the identities of those two men were, whether or not they were soldiers,
but security forces on the scene returned fire, killing that gunman. There's still some uncertainty about the nationality of the truck driver
turned gunman here.
The Israeli military is describing this as a terrorist attack. It is not the first time that we have seen such attacks take place at the Allenby
crossing. Last year, three Israeli employees of the Israeli Airports Authority, which runs this crossing, were killed after a Jordanian citizen
opened fire near that very same location.
ASHER: All right, Jeremy Diamond, thank you. Appreciate it. All right, praise from the U.S. President, condemnation from free speech groups. Up
next, the controversy over the suspension of "Late Night Talk Show" Host Jimmy Kimmel.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, after a few months leading the Catholic Church, Pope Leo is sharing his views on life and changes in the church, a preview of a new
biography is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, free speech groups are condemning Disney's ABC Network for pulling the "Late Night Show" Jimmy Kimmel off of the air indefinitely. The
decision was made over the comedian's remarks about the suspected killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Here's what Kimmel said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who
murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right, ABC's decision to suspend Kimmel's show comes hours after the Trump appointed Head of U.S. Media Regulator the FCC threatened the
broadcaster's license.
[11:25:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENDAN CARR, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION: They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to
operate in the public interest. But frankly, when you see stuff like this, I mean, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.
These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC
ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN Media Analyst Sara Fisher is also the Media Correspondent for "AXIOS". She joins us live now. Sarah, good to see you. So just in terms of
how you marry the two? You know, First Amendment's rights versus what an American network can do in terms of their own contracts and their own
policies? Just how do those two things balance out?
SARA FISHER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: It's a great question. So, in the U.S., we have a federal regulator, the FCC, and they have jurisdiction over cable to
an extent, but not really. Mostly it's broadcast, and then terrestrial radio. And so, if you're not a media company that touches those things, you
don't have to worry.
If you're a media company, however, like Disney is and you own local broadcast affiliates, then the FCC does have jurisdiction over what you do.
In this case, the FCC has what it's called, sort of like a public interest rule, which essentially says that they can go after you, they can
investigate you, they can find you if they find that your programming does not uphold public interest.
It's very, very vague, and so in this situation, it's awkward because, you know, Disney has a long-standing relationship with Jimmy Kimmel. They've
always stood by him. But what happened was that this local news company called Nexstar, which is looking to do a big merger, and they need
regulatory approval.
They basically saw that Kimmel interview. They called it out and said, well, we're going to pull it off our air, because presumably they want the
FCC to approve their merger. And that sort of forced Disney to comply and to act and to do something, because if they didn't, then Disney would be
the ire of regulatory scrutiny.
And remember, Disney's got a lot going on, like ESPN just struck a major deal with the NFL. The DOJ is looking into that, just for -- you know
regulatory approvals. So, they can't really afford to be at odds with the FCC, and I think that's why they took such swift action to suspend this
show.
GOLODRYGA: Speak more Sara to the merger that is looming here between these two major affiliate owners. Because we see a pattern where, like with
Paramount right and its sale recently, we saw their late-night show canceled as well, before that sale was finalized and approved. And we have
seen in the past, to be fair, networks suspend fire their talent.
They have the right to do that. They've done it. You know, based on certain things their talent may have said or done that offended both management,
the company, and viewers. And there are contracts that these anchors and these show hosts have, and they have to uphold their contract.
But what makes this more unusual is you have the government intervening, not necessarily saying you have to fire this person otherwise I'm not going
to approve your merger. But the fact that you had the FCC Chair just hours before this announcement, come on, say we can do this one way, or the easy
way or the hard way.
I'm just paraphrasing what he said. There's a pattern here, and I think that's what stands out when you have the administration what appears to be
bullying these companies to act the way they do.
FISHER: That's exactly right. So, let's take a look at the merger. The largest local broadcast company in the U.S. is a company called Nexstar.
They announced a few weeks ago their intent to buy the third largest broadcaster in the U.S., called Tegna. Typically, you need FCC approval for
these types of massive local media deals, but they don't always get it.
During the Biden Administration, Tegna actually did try to do a $4 billion merger, and it got blocked. So, Nexstar recognizes that if it does not sort
of suck up to the FCC, its major business merger is going to be threatened. That's why, before ABC pulled Kimmel off the air, Nexstar came out and
said, we are not going to run this programming across our ABC affiliates.
And that then prompted Disney to make its move. Following that, another local broadcaster that's eyeing consolidation, Sinclair, also said that it
would pull. So, it was kind of like a trigger effect where one after another sort of followed each other, all of them facing this kind of peer
pressure.
Bianna, it's so unusual to your point that the government would intervene in this way, but there's been a lot of unusual things at the FCC. You know,
Chairman Carr has launched a lot of investigations sort of unilaterally announcing them through the media. That's not something that typically
happens.
[11:30:00]
So, this is just an unprecedented time, and I think media owners are trying really hard how to navigate it without sort of compromising their own
editorial morals and ethics.
ASHER: When you think about the role of "Late Night" comedy hosts in our society and their social commentators. You know, how will this affect how
other "Late Night" comedian's approach or discuss controversial or political topics, do you think?
FISCHER: I mean that the whole point of this is to create a chilling effect. So, if you are a "Late Night" comedian, if you're a journalist,
anything on a TV network that's tied to a broadcast entity that gets regulated, you now have to think twice about everything you say, because
you're wondering, is this going to cause major upheaval at my company?
Is this going to cause me to get my show yanked or to get my job pulled? That's why the administration is leveraging these tactics. They're
extraordinarily effective. For the "Late Night" comedy set, what's also challenging is that in the traditional television landscape. It's just been
hard for "Late Night" shows to garner the same amount of audience and viewership and advertising that they used to.
In fact, a lot of these shows are actually losing money. And so, they're even more vulnerable to some of these pressures, out of concern that if
they don't, you know, if they do one thing wrong, their shows going to get cut because it's not just politically convenient, but quite frankly, it's
also financially convenient.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and it's not just a hypothetical. I mean, President Trump took to X yesterday and seemingly suggested that comcast should part ways
or do the same when it comes to their "Late Night" show host Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. We'll see Sara, you've been hearing this very well for --
FISCHER: Yeah -- comedy --
GOLODRYGA: Yeah.
FISCHER: You know, as you say, comedy has been a very big target during this administration. But thank you for having me.
GOLODRYGA: Thank you welcome anytime.
ASHER: Anytime Sara. Thank you. Appreciate it. All right, still to come here in "One World", massive nationwide protests in France and fueling
clashes with police. We'll have a live report from Paris just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:35:00]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Here are some of the headlines we're watching today.
ASHER: President Trump is wrapping up a state visit to the UK. He and Prime Minister Keir Starmer concluded a wide-ranging news conference that covered
trade, technology and global conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. It came shortly after they signed a tech prosperity deal that calls for hundreds of
billions of dollars of cross Atlantic investment in science and technology initiatives.
GOLODRYGA: Tens of thousands of Palestinians are fleeing Gaza City as Israeli tanks are said to be stationed on the edge of Gaza City. The
Israeli military said a ground operation began two days ago. Dozens of Palestinians were killed across the enclave in recent hours as an aerial
assault continues there.
ASHER: Disney's ABC is taking Jimmy Kimmel's "Late Night" talk show off the air indefinitely. This follows comments Kimmel made about the suspected
killer of Conservative Activists Charlie Kirk. Free speech, groups have condemned ABC. U.S. President Donald Trump is praising that decision.
GOLODRYGA: Across France, demonstrators have taken to the streets angry about the country's political class and President Macron's appointing a new
prime minister on Tuesday. Trade unions are calling for a general strike over budget plans. Except for about 140 arrests, the protests have been
mostly peaceful.
And standing by live in Paris is CNN's Melissa Bell. Melissa, as we noted, things appear to be quite peaceful behind you, but what were some of the
scenes you saw earlier today?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly up at national there have been some clashes already, but I just want to show you
here. This is the typical Paris scene. Here they are playing pit beyond it. You come across here, just across the road, a cafe, Paris going about its
business on a normal Thursday afternoon.
And of course, then this march again, another regular feature of Paris. It had been a little while. Not since 2023 had these kinds of coordinated
trade union marches hit the streets of Paris. You'll remember it was trade union -- trade, it was pension reform that had seen the trade unions come
out on the streets.
This time, they've come out again. 900,000 people expected on the streets of France today, and you can see when the trade unions take part, it tends
to be a fairly coordinated, well organized affair. They have their balloons, they have their colors, they have their flags.
What they are protesting is the austerity budget that appears to be looming here in France. Remember that France is facing this debt crisis, a looming
debt crisis. It's debt, said the outgoing prime minister is now so large, about 114 percent of annual economic output, that it needs to be tackled
urgently.
The last prime minister's plan was to take out 44 billion euros from next year's budget. The new Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, and he is the
fourth to try to govern France since June of last year, has not said exactly what he intends to do, but the fear of these people on the street
today is that he too will try and take out some of their welfare benefits that social security system here in France that has been built up over
decades and is extremely generous.
And that's why they're protesting. Their fears and austerity are what faces them and their determination to make their voices heard. So, you have this
the big march here in Paris headed towards nationals. But these kinds of protests have taken place all over the country today.
But as you say, industrial action as well about 20 percent of teachers were on strike today, a number of train services as well. Still, the fact that
these numbers have turned out very bad news for the incoming prime minister as he tries to tackle these very important issues.
And bear in mind that France, he has to get the 2026, budget through by the 13th of October, so he doesn't have much time, and he's got a lot of
resistance opposite him.
GOLODRYGA: He sure does. Melissa bell in Paris for us. Thank you so much.
ASHER: Right. Pope Leo has only been in the role since May. So, the interest in how the first American Pope will run the Catholic church is
growing.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, we'll get a glimpse of that in a new biography called Leo, the 14th citizen of the world, missionary of the 21st century. Writer Elise
Ann Allen spoke extensively with the pontiff. They cover topics like women in the church, homosexuality and income inequality. The book hits store
shelves today in Spanish and in English next year.
[11:40:00]
ASHER: Yeah, joining us live now from London is Christopher Lamb. I mean, it's quite early for him to have a biography, given that he's only been in
the job for a couple of months, but just in terms of what we're learning, I mean, obviously Pope Leo has a very sort of welcoming stance towards
members of the LGBTQ Plus population, and also immigrants as well.
He's talked about that extensively. Just explain to us how he is similar to and differs from his predecessor.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is early for him to have sat down for this interview. He's covered a right wide range of topics
in it, and when it comes to things like LGBTQ Catholics and questions around the role of women in the church.
Leo is broadly saying he's going to continue with Pope Francis' stance. Pope Francis very welcoming to LGBTQ Catholics and gave senior roles to
women in the church. But Leo is also striking a more cautious, consolidating tone. He really does want to unify the church. He says he
doesn't want to contribute to any kind of polarization inside the Catholic church and outside.
So, he is continuing with Francis, but in a more careful way. Similarly, you could say with President Trump. Leo talks about his relationship with
Trump. He hasn't received any direct contact with President Trump, although, of course, his brother Louis Prevost has Leo remarked about that.
Leo citing a letter from President Trump to the U.S. bishops about immigration, which was very critical of the Trump Administration's
immigration plans. Of course, Pope Francis had been very critical of Trump in certain circumstances, and also of the Catholic church in the U.S.
Leo saying that that letter from Trump on immigration was very significant, and one thing he did say that was very interesting, and we've got the
quote, is that the fact that I am American means, among other things, people can't say like they did about Francis, he doesn't understand the
United States.
He just doesn't see what's going on. I think that's significant in this case. So what Leo's saying is, is that people in the past might have
dismissed Francis when he critiqued certain things about Trump and the Catholic church in the U.S. Of course, there were elements that were very
opposed to Francis in the U.S.
They can't say that about Leo, because, of course, he's the first American Pope, and he understands what's going on in the U.S. very well.
ASHER: All right. Christopher Lamb live for us in London. I'm sure you'll be reading it as soon as it comes down. We appreciate it. All right. The
fed has just dropped interest rates to their lowest level in years, but it's unlikely to satisfy President Trump. We'll explain after a short
break.
[11:45:00]
GOLODRYGA: Well, U.S. markets are reacting this morning after the Federal Reserve made a long-awaited quarter percentage point cut to interest rates.
The DOW, we always say they're reacting, and they're always flat. That's good, though it's better than wild swings that we saw earlier this year.
All green arrows will take that in a day, but relatively flat and quiet today, as the fed finally did what so many investors had been anticipating,
a quarter point cut in rates yesterday.
ASHER: After the announcement, Fed Chair Jerome Powell spoke to the reasoning, the rationale behind the cut. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR: While the unemployment rate remains low, it has edged up, job gains have slowed and downside risks to
employment have risen. At the same time, inflation has risen recently and remains somewhat elevated. I think you can think of this in a way, as a
risk management cut.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Matt Egan joins us now. The majority supported the quarter point cut. One advocated one governor, newly appointed governor, sworn in,
advocated for hire, that being Stephen Miran, who is now taking a leave as the president's economic adviser. What more did we hear from the Fed Chair
yesterday in terms of their views on the direction the economy is headed in?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Bianna and Zain, as you heard from that clip right there with the Fed Chair, they really do find themselves in a
difficult and almost unprecedented situation, right, where they have these two front wars that they're trying to fight, right?
They have weakening job market, and they've got stubborn inflation, but this decision yesterday makes clear that they definitely see more danger
when it comes to the job market, right? And that is why they deliver this quarter point cut. As you mentioned, this is the first cut of the second
Trump Administration.
And the fed signaled that they're probably not done, right? They're penciling in a total of three cuts this year. That would be yesterday. It's
in two more. That's up from June when fed officials were just penciling in two cuts. And yeah, the market is definitely pricing in more interest rate
cuts.
A 90 percent chance of a cut in October, 99 percent chance of a cut in December. The Fed Chair describing this as a risk management type move,
trying to take out some insurance against more trouble in the job market. And Goldman Sachs says that when there's a risk management cut.
It's usually done in a package, right, a series of interest rate cuts. Now, during the press conference, I had a chance to ask Fed Chair Jerome Powell
about the fact that more and more Americans are falling behind on their bills, and that credit scores have started to come down significantly. Take
a listen to what Powell said.
ASHER: All right. Matt, actually, we have to interrupt you, because we are going to Buckinghamshire. This is Chequers in the UK, where President
Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, they are wrapping up their trip. They're at Chequers, which is, of course, the prime minister's country
house outside of London. Let's listen in to what's happening as they depart.
GOLODRYGA: There you see the beast --
ASHER: Yes. Worth reminding our audience that there has been so much controversy over this visit, the second state visit, by the way, this is
the first time an American President has been invited for a second state visit in the UK. The first time that President Donald Trump was invited for
a state visit was back in 2019 of course, a very different political situation.
You had Prime Minister Theresa May, who was in office then she had resigned a couple of days prior to that visit because of controversy swelling over
Brexit and her handling of Brexit.
[11:50:00]
And so, she was in a sort of caretaker situation as prime minister during the first state visit. This, of course, is a very different situation.
You've got Keir Starmer, who has very different policies, by the way, to this president. However, Bianna, the two men have seemed to have gotten
along quite well, despite clear differences when it comes to foreign policy.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, highly choreographed visit at that the president avoiding London and some of the larger protests that we saw. And going to Windsor,
having that state banquet last night, the first time in the U.S. President, as you said, has been invited for two state dinners in the United Kingdom.
The president there departing the beast.
ASHER: Yeah.
GOLODRYGA: I just love saying the beast before getting on Marine One. And then we'll be taking off from Air Force One back to the United States. And
it is really notable how Keir Starmer has effectively navigated this relationship and cultivated this with President Trump.
Despite their ideological and political differences, they really have formed a friendship. I would say this is probably the closest relationship
President Trump has with a European leader. And it was interesting to read a tidbit last -- this morning, actually, about how Keir Starmer bet on
navigating this relationship.
Last year, during the U.N. General Assembly, the president had dinner with Keir Starmer, the president then candidate Trump, and the two men bonded
over that dinner. But what's more notable and interesting is that Keir Starmer chose not to have dinner with the vice president at the time, who
President Trump was running against. Since then, that relationship has only grown --
ASHER: This is all about soft diplomacy. We saw yesterday with the F-35 that we were talking about with the red arrows, all of which was designed
to dazzle and delight. I mean, obviously this is a president that enjoys that kind of spectacle, that kind of theater, and the British certainly
know how to do that very well.
But again, a lot of controversy, with a lot of people thinking that this president wasn't worthy of not just one state visit, but a second one
nonetheless. All right. We are going to take a quick break here. We'll have more news on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:55:00]
GOLODRYGA: The legend himself a little Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues. Dylan will be one of the performers at the 40th annual Farm Aid
festival in Minneapolis, along with Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Dave Massey.
Bob Dylan, subterranean, Homesick Blues. Dylan will be one of the performers at the 40th annual Farm Aid festival in Minneapolis, along with
Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Dave Matthews. The festival aims to raise money to help American farmers in need. And CNN will bring it to you live.
ASHER: Yeah, join us right here on CNN for one of the biggest concerts events of the year. Watch Farm Aid 40 this Saturday at 07:00 p.m. Eastern
time, right here on CNN.
GOLODRYGA: I mean, for no other reason, John Berman and Laura Coates together. You're not into the music. You know, two of the best CNN has.
ASHER: Yeah. And finally, this hour, a family farm in Maine has been voted the best corn maze in the U.S. in a new poll.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, a Treworgy Family Orchards -- the Treworgy Family Orchards tops the list in U.S.A. Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards for the
fourth year in a row. The farm says this year's maize is made out of 60,000 corn plants grown to a height of 10 feet. It's about 3 meters.
The design pays tribute to Maine's fishing industry and farming roots. In that spirit, they are offering free admission this upcoming weekend to
anyone working in commercial fishing. The farm also placed second this year for best pumpkin patch. Wow. Love good pumpkin patch. All right, stay with
us. There's more "One World" after the break. I really do love a good pumpkin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
